Journal of a Steward
by Jaxzan Proditor
Summary: Arnuzîr is the Steward of Númenor under Ar-Pharazôn, the mightiest and last ruler of Westernesse. Dive into the pages of his journal to see what Númenor was like during its final days. Slightly AU.
1. A New Master

Editor's Note: The following excerpts were retrieved from a journal found in Mithlond. It is believed that the journal originated on Númenor and was brought from there to Tol Eressëa on Ar-Pharazôn's massive fleet. From Tol Eressëa it was carried over to Mithlond and was later discovered hidden in the Library by Círdan. The maker of this journal was named Arnuzîr, and it is my belief he was the Steward of the King.

* * *

The 29th of Cerveth, 3255 S.A.

I have served many kings in the past and I hope to do so again. I served Ar-Gimilzôr when he took the Sceptor in 3102. I aided Tar-Palantir when he began his rule in 3177. I even served Tar-Miriel (or Ar-Zimraphel as we must now call her) for her regrettebly brief reign. But, never before have I served man quite like Ar-Pharazôn.

Recently, my dear friend and master, Tar-Palantir, passed away from grief and despair that his realm had fallen to a level so depraved it resembles the rotting kingdoms of the lesser men we once helped out. He passed the Sceptor unto his daughter Tar, no wait, Ar-Zimraphel. However, his brother, Ar-Pharazôn, had long followed the mind set of his grandfather (Ar-Gimilzôr), that all lands belonged to the people of Númenor, who were the rightful masters of the world.

In order to fulfil his dream, Ar-Pharazôn required the Sceptor. And to get his hands on the Sceptor he was forced to do a depraved thing: marrying inside his house. Perhaps in the wild stretches of Endor this is a common practice, but here in Númenor such a marriage should be illegal. Many would have tried to stop him, but Ar-Pharazôn had been a man of great rank in our Army and Navy, and any who dared speak against him were swiftly silenced by the men he commands.

Today is the day of his wedding, and also the day of his coronation. Both will short ceremonies, requiring only an oath taken in the name of Eru. Even the festivities will be short, for our people have never been given to excess and celebration. Our only holiday is in celebration of Eru and is mostly a quiet ceremony.

I fear what will happen to our realm once Ar-Pharazôn gets his hands on it. Back in the old days, a man named Ar-Gimilzôr had come to the Throne. He become the greatest enemy of our once friends and allies, the Eldar. He forbade the rebels, the Faithful, from teaching any of the elvish tongues and utterly forbade any of the Eldar to set foot on Númenor.

His wife, on the other hand, was secretly one of the Faithful. She bore two children to Ar-Gimilzôr. The elder of these two children, Inziladûn, took after his mother and was friendly to the Eldar. The younger child, Gimilkhâd, was more alike to his father, and Ar-Gimilzôr would have prefered him to inherit the Sceptor. But, since Inziladûn was the elder sibling, Inziladûn was the inheritor.

He took the name Tar-Palantir, meaning "The Far-sighted", in the hitherto unused tongue of Eldar. His brother became a leader of the King's party, a group resisting the Faithful and became the father of Ar-Pharazôn. He instilled into Ar-Pharazôn that the Númenorians were superior to all other races and that they deserved to rule all of Arda, even the undying lands.

Ar-Pharazôn then became a great captain in our fleet. He started the Days of War. To the people of Endor we were no longer a helpful, yet superior group. Now we were an outright evil monarchy, committed to murder and plunder. During these times Ar-Pharazôn built many fortresses to contain the ever growing might of Sauron, which, will earning back the favor of some of the wild-men, did nothing to endear himself to the Faithful.

The elves claim that Sauron was formerly of an order like the Valar, but of less strength. They say he was captured by some "song" and was given the powers of a director and werewolf. I personally believe he was formerly one of High Elves until seduced by Morgoth's promises of great power.

Ar-Pharazôn hearing of his uncle's weariness, hastened back to Númenor, hoping to take the Throne. Alas, controlling the majority of the military, and being vastly popular with both the lords, and the common masses, he was able to take control of the Kingdom with ease.

It is my sad duty to serve every ruler of ours, being Steward of Númenor, but I for once am not enjoying it, for I fear this may be our worst leader yet.

Arnuzîr

* * *

The First of Urui, 3255 S.A.

Ar-Zimraphel is adjusting to her new position well. I inquired to her the other day as to how she was handling the stress of being married to her cousin and political oponnent and she replied "While I am Queen and married to the most influential man of this day, I can influence the lords like I never could have before. I will better serve my country this way".

I believe she will continue aiding the Faithful, who, ever since Tar-Palantir died, have faded back into anonymity to avoid Ar-Pharazôn's men. Indeed, almost as soon as Ar-Pharazôn returned, the elves flees back to their lands, and the land was worsened for it.

In the short time he has ruled, already several changes have been made. Ar-Pharazôn has reinstituted several of Ar-Gimilzôr's laws persecuting the Faithful and the Eldar. He has also instituted a special task force to hunt down any 'insurgents' as he termed the Faithful.

Some people, I believe are helping the Faithful hide. Many of these people are descendants of the Lords of Andúnië, for they have always been elf-friends. One of these men, Amandil, I have judged to be a good man. I recently confided in him one Tar-Palantir' prophecies (for "Far-sighted" was not just a fancy name!), that only I had been around to hear.

"The lineage of both Tree and Scion are linked. If one falls, then the other will fall shortly after. If there ever comes a day when neither Tree nor Seed, nor Scion or Scion's Scion live, then the world shall no the true meaning of grief ". I know not what it is that inspired me to share such words, but I feel they will be useful one day. Amandil in return confided he was hoping to marry some nobility in hopes of recapturing the King's favor.

I have not conferred much with our new King. Hopefully, if I am to perform the same duties as I did with my former master, then I can send a servant up with my reports, and only interact with Ar-Pharazôn at Council meetings.

Ah, I just received a message from the King confirming my previous suspicions. This means I will be responsible for reviewing the quality of the legislature passed (as in the phrasing, not the moralitu), signing forms for the king, handling taxes, and handling our funds and resources. And, of course, the primary duty (and my favorite duty!) of a Steward: To record the events happening at the time.

Arnuzîr

* * *

29th of Cerveth, 3260 S.A.

It has been 5 years since Ar-Pharazôn came to the Throne and his rule has not been as bad as I, or others, feared. Other than creating some silly bits of legislature the kingdom has been run the same as before. However, some of these laws and acts Herald a changing time. I will show some examples of these new laws.

"Númenorian Expansion Act: Azrukhôr the Mariner is the new Grand Admiral of the Númenorian Navy, now that Ar-Pharazôn has became the King. Effective immediately, he is to invade several good areas of the coast along Middle-earth and establish ports there.

Númenorian Group Act: Any group or party that is to meet with more than five members must be certified by the Agency Bureau. All groups thus cleared must reverting each year. The Agency Bureau has the right to demand that a group show proof of their certification.

Second Ship Act: Any non-commercial boat is to be turned in to the Shipping Agency, where it will be repurposed as a military vessel. Additionally, all commercial fishing boats must be outfitted with cannons and their crews must be trained in combat (both hand to hand, and strategy) in case of War. A few of the military vessels will be given over to the Exploration Agency, for the purpose of defending the vessels that are to see if there is a way to sail around Endor and into Valinor.

Gold Act: All gold mines are to be converted over to the Standard II so as to increase production. Other mines shall be converted to Standard I to minimalize risks to workers. We will attempt to capture slaves to replace the workers, to ease the burden on our men and economy.

Male Lineage Act: The Sceptor will be passed to closest related male, instead of the closest relative, as was the previous law regarding inheritance of the Sceptor. If there is no such male successor, or the question of succession is in doubt, the Sceptor shall instead be passed to the highest amongst the lords.

Pure Lineage Act: It is now legal for members of the Royal House to marry one another. This practice is encouraged, to keep the pure blood inside the house. The law also applies to the lords as well.

Port Act: All ports are to be run by the Port Agency (See Section 5 of "The New Executive Bureaus") . The Lords of Andúnië shall have no legal duties anymore."

Arnuzîr

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me what you think of the story so I can improve my work.**


	2. Signs of War

**A/N: Well, new chapter up. My thanks to all of you who looked at the story. I hope to have the next chapter up over the weekend. Reviews are always welcome!**

The Eighth of Girithron, 3260 S.A.

There is hardly any work for me anymore. Despite the dubious appeal of some of Ar-Pharazôn's reforms, they are quickly re-establishing the economy that still had not recovered from Ar-Gimilzôr's excesive spending on a fleet. Indeed, my fears seem to have been the utmost folly compared to how smoothly Ar-Pharazôn has been ruling. His new invasions in Endor, while certainly not beneficial to the natives, have brought us good fortunes.

Although, he does seem to have a strange lust for gold. My reports show that amount of gold mined has increased tenfold from Tar-Palantir's days (or Ar-Inziladûn as we are supposed to call him, under the Adúnaic Act). In fact, the Head of the Minerals Agency claims we might destroy the economy for gold if we aren't careful. However, there has been no decrease in gold prices. The only explanation for this is that the gold is not entering the economy, but then where is it going? Other than this, things appear to be fine.

And yet, an odd shadow hangs over the land. For the first time in living memory, it has snowed harshly here. While the island has been subjected to cold spells and mild snows, this so the first time (or so the records say) since Tar-Anducal ruled that we have experienced such a drastic change from our usual mild weather.

Our population has strangely grown exponentially larger, the first time it has done so. The naysayers and elf-friends say it is because our lives are growing shorter, and this means we are reproducing more, but I prefer to think that it is due to our increased wealth. Interestingly enough, despite our ever expanding population, Andustar remains unpopulated, with people preferring to settle in the lands of Sorontil, despite its barren lands*.

Shockingly, riots have broken out in the less well-policed sections of Númenor. A group calling themselves the "the True Númenorians" is protesting the new laws of Ar-Pharazôn. While these people follow some of the beliefs of the Faithful (for example, they believe that Ar-Zimraphel should be Queen); they are most certainly not elf-friends. The Faithful themselves claim all the bizarre weather and births are the result of the Valar's displeasure.

The King's Men are taking it upon themselves to fight the rioters. They believe that the unnatural events are naught but a series of unfortunate coincidences. I personally and inclined to agree with them, though, either way, I believe that rioting will accomplish nothing except to waste lives, time, and money.

Our Queen, Ar-Zimraphel, has taken to hanging in the quarters of that man, Amandil. With Ar-Pharazôn's new acts, he is more out of a job than I am. Rumors have begun spreading about what the two of them are up to in there, but I steadfastly refuse to believe them.

Arnuzîr

* * *

The Second of Nínui, 3261 S.A.**

It has been rather busy around recently and I finally have some work worth doing. Recently an envoy of that Dark Elf, Sauron, arrived at Rómenna. He claimed that his master, taking advantage of the removal of Ar-Pharazôn from Endor, was going to reclaim th land that belonged to his empire at its greatest. He then proceeded to, in the most dreadful of tones, account what was to befall us then.

"And He shall take your forts from you, and burn them to the ground, and salt the areas around them, so that nothing shall live their again. And the soldiers inside your forts will be taken back to His Tower, Barad-dûr, were they will help breed strong, new orcs for His mighty armies. And then He will take your mines and your lumber mills and your farms and He shall use them for His own purposes. And without your mines and mills, your mighty economy shall crumble, and with it your empire. And then Mandos, yea death himself, and Manwë Sulimo, seeing that you are weak, will enact his grand plan and drive you from Númenor and use it as a stage for his mighty armies of Vanyar, his chosen people. And your people, bereft of their land and wealth will starve and die, and then the Valar will have dominion."

After hearing all this Ar-Pharazôn was in quite a rage, as you can imagine. Amandil and I counseled that he should ignore this envoy, for Sauron did not have the time or resources to fight both us and the combined forces of Gil-Galad and Galadriel. But we were outspoken by the other Lords of Númenor: The Lord of Hyarrostar, The Lord of Orostar, The Lord of Forostar, The Lord of Hyarnustar, The Lord of Mittalmar, and The Lord of Rómenna.

They all counseled that the best course of action would be to prepare the largest armada possible and set sail for Mordor. There we would end Sauron's rule, and increase our holdings in Endor. I spoke against this idea, for I thought it unlikely that Sauron, the great and cunning elf that he was, would make a mistake and insult the most powerful nation in the world without cause.

Our opponents argued back that if we invaded before the Eldar got the chance to, we would permanently have a hold on Endor. From the domain of Mordor, we could easily conquer the surrounding men. With a little more time and effort, the Dwarves and Elves would fall. And they argued the immense benefits of Moria and all the Elven technology would outweigh any cost.

Amandil tried to reason with Ar-Pharazôn, to tell him that his plans were foolish and his advisors of no great intelligence. But, Ar-Pharazôn had been hearing the rumors about Amandil and his wife, and he listened not to us, but to his foolish advisors instead and we were overruled.

It is also my belief that he was affected by the rabbit's puzzling words concerning the Valar. Ar-Pharazôn had always believed the rumours that Sauron was once a Vala, or near enough. Perhaps he believed that Sauron had information concerning the Valar? Either way, it seemed romania him more determined to invade.

As of right now, under Special Field Order #3, the entire Navy is being assembled for our grand assault. I have been relegated to the role of accountant, for I am to be doing the maths necessary to prepare for our grand voyage. I shall also be accompanying Ar-Pharazôn to record our conquest. While Ar-Pharazôn is gone, The Lord of Forostar, Gimilzimir, shall rule in his absence.

Arnuzîr

* * *

The Fourth of Gwirith, 3261 S.A.

Our plans have been temporarily spoiled by a savage blizzard that has made all previous storms this season seem like a warm summer's day, comparatively. Needless to say, Ar-Pharazôn is not happy at all. He is probably angry enough to melt all the snow off the roads. He has taken to brooding in silence in the crypts that Ar-Adûnakhôr had begun to build. Already, those structures honoring death were becoming filled and in need of renovation.

But, regardless of the poor condition of the tombs. Ar-Pharazôn is plotting down there any way. The rumors about Ar-Zimraphel and Amandil are growing stronger, and I believe they are effecting Ar-Pharazôn strongly.

Several of the remaining dissidents that were living in Andustar have left. I believe that some of them are attempting to reach Valinor to tell Manwë of the situation here, while the others are heading to the Grey Havens. Either way, they are one less thing to worry about.

...

Luckily, we have many farms in Endor, or else the recent cold would have killed our people. The sudden cold overwhelmed our plants, which we grow annually***, and completely killed them of. If it weren't for our shipments from Endor I don't what we would have done.

...

After he delivered his message in full, Ar-Pharazôn had the messenger clapped and chains and delivered to the prisons, another recent invention of Ar-Gimilzôr.I have decided to head down there and conduct an interrogation with him. I shall record the results when I am through.

* * *

Well, I must report failure. I questioned the subject at length for several hours to no end. Toward the end, I had Gilithûtor, our torturer (a position also instituted by Ar-Gimilzôr), apply several forms of torture, but to no avail.

I inquired as to what he was to do after delivering his message. No reply. I asked him his name, his background, his connection to Sauron, what he knew of Sauron, what he knew of Númenor. To all of this I received no response. The only answer I got out of him was when I shouted at him that he had chosen the wrong side in this conflict, he responded by laughing at me. So far, no tests have indicated the prisoner is under the influence of some drug to reduce pain or strengthen mind, merely that he is very strong willed.

I returned to my quarters in disgust. I settled back down to look at the produce reports, when I heard a knock at the door. "Enter" I said. The door swung open and a Courier^ entered.

"The King has requested a meeting with you, my lord", the courier said. He then bowed, turned around and left my quarters. I leapt up immediately and made sure I was presentable before heading up to the King's rooms. When Ar-Pharazôn "requested" someone see him, he meant arrive there five minutes ago.

"I hear you have interviewed our prisoner", Ar-Pharazôn said in soft muttering tones. I glanced about the room before answering. The room we were in was only a small study of to the side of the Throne Room, but it was still over twice as big as my own quarters. It was not as decorated, no doubt because Ar-Pharazôn spent only a fraction of his time in this room.

"Err... yes, Your Majesty"

"And were you able to drag anything out of him?", he replied.

"Ummm... not really, Your Majesty"

"This is a bold move for you. All my knowledge of you would not have predicted that you would take such a bold course."

I began sweating nervously, despite the cold. Was he having me followed? I attempted to keep my worry out of my reply"I was concerned about y-your up coming invasion, My Lord"

"Ah, sure you are, you and Amandil both. Would you like me to tell you why I ignore your counsel?". I only nodded, knowing that no response of mine would prevent him from delivering his speech.

"I have heard many things from both sides of this argument. On one hand, Amandil has been saying that there are too many risks involved in attacking Sauron. He tells me we should move only to fortify our settlements. On the other hand, my other Lords tell me of all the land and wealth and soldiers we would gain from this excursion. They tell me to launch a massive invasion pointed at Sauron and Barad-dûr.

"I have agreed with them, but for other reasons. You see, our records show that around 1700 S.A., my ancestor, Tar-Minastir, sent a large force to help the Eldar fight this very same menace. That means he has been alive for at least 1,600 years."

"But I thought his age was explained by the fact that he is one of the Eldar"

"No, my sources claim he is actually quite human, at least in appearance. My spies claim that although he is tall for a man, he is no Quendi. The source of his age, according to my sources, is that this Sauron also has a store of great power on his person. It is my belief that it is this power that has given him great age and mastery of the Orcs"

"I plan to invade, not for land, but for the sole purpose of capturing this great power. I plan to set sail on the Fifth of Nórui. That day marks the day that I began a new era. An era of our supremacy!"

Arnuzîr

* * *

*Editor's Note: With the combined edicts of Ar-Gimilzôr and Ar-Pharazôn, Andustar had been almost abandoned, save for the Faithful.

**Editor's Note: While Arnuzîr wrote an entry for everyday, only the most critical have been selected

***Editor's Note: The crops were already beginning to fail, no doubt due to a long practice of continual farming and never allowing the nutrients to regr low.

^Editor's Note: The Kings Couriers were an elite task force specifically trained to deliver messages in and around Arandor.


	3. Endor

**A/N: This chapter is a bit longer than the others, and more happens. Reviews are welcome. Enjoy!**

* * *

The Fifth of Nórui, 3261 S.A.

Our armada is so massive they can't fit into Rómenna. In fact, only a tithe of them can fit along the docks and harbor wall. The rest of the ships are further out. The King's own vessel, _Uinen*_, is the closest to the palace. That is the ship that I will be on board during the duration of the voyage.

At least one-twentieth of the vessels are merely holding arms and armor for the soldiers. Yet another tithe bears all the food we will be needing for the voyage. Another twentieth carries most of the servants of the various Lords journeying with us. The rest are carrying the soldiers. I estimate there is at least 200 ships, if not much, much more, in the Harbor alone. I also estimate an average of 300 men per vessel.

It seems as if we must have deforested half of Endor to create this massive fleet. Indeed, the papers I have say over 200,000 trees were harvested for it, and those were only the most recent boats. The horizon is swamped with sails, making it seem as though it is a very cloudy day, despite the fact that there is hardly a cloud to be seen. At least, in the part of the sky that can actually be seen.

Ar-Pharazôn stood beside me, his body very tense. I believe he is stressed by all the planning necessary for the invasion, not to mention the magnitude of the journey we were about to embark on. The plank to _Uinen _was lowered by sailors already onboard and the King and I, followed by all the other Lords journeying with us, boarded the ship.

Unfortunately, Amandil is not on board. He decided to stay behind and look after Gimilzimir. It is a pity that Gimilzimir cannot be trusted by Amandil and I, for I would have enjoyed Amandil's company aboard the vessel. It is to be a long voyage, at least by my standards, estimated to take over 40 days. It will be slower than usual, for the whole fleet must remain together.

I turned around and faced toward the part of the town that borders the harbor. All of the city and the the surrounding area has turned out to see us go. The crowd is a mix of different emotions. Among this crowd are frightened mothers, worried for their sons. There are also brothers, no doubt jealous of their older brother's position in army. Undoubtedly, there are even a few of the Faithful in this mix. Each of these groups are linked by their connection to the fleet.

Ar-Pharazôn gave his farewell address to the crowd. He ssod how the capture of Mordor will double the amount of land we currently hold now. I know he intends to do no such thing, but his promises seem to encourage the people. The King then continues to lay out our future. He says that, using Mordor as a gathering point, we will move north and conquer the Drúedain infested forests.

After that we will invade the realms of the Eldar. Imladris, Lórinand, Mithlond, and even the small province of Greenwood shall fall under our command. Once we have established ourselves there, we shall overpower the dwarves in Moria and in the Blue Mountains. Once our rule of northwestern Ennor is established we shall conquer the deserts of Harad. After that, we shall take over the eastern reaches of Ennor, and drive out the Moriquendi that live there. Once they are defeated, we will enslave the other continents. Before long we will be the rulers in the Lands Without Death!

After hearing Ar-Pharazôn's speech (which was far longer than the notes I have written here!) end, the people broke out into great applause. Whether this was out of true respect or fear f the consequences I don't know. The cheers and applause were the signal for Ar-Pharazôn's Master Herald, Azruzûr, to belt out a single, low note on his horn.

At once, all the ships' captains commanded their crews to begin rowing. Luckily, all the ship's made it out without a single mishap. We were leaving Númenor and were on our way to making history.

Arnuzîr

* * *

The Eighth of Nórui, 3261 S.A.

We have been at sea for only three days, and already I am bored. I am feeling out of place on this ship. Without any papers to look at, or forms to fill out, my only purpose on this ship seems to be eating and sleeping.

Luckily I am not feeling sea sick. When I was younger, my father would take me sailing every month or so. As well as giving me a feeling of ease around the sea, these voyages allowed me to create my most miraculous invention. You see, even at a young age, I loved to read. The only problem was, my books would get soaked whenever I brought them out on the voyages. It cost a lot of money to have a scribe rewrite a book, a cost that I had no intention of paying over and over again.

Therefore, I created a cover for my books. Made out of a special kind of fabric (one that grows only in southern Valinor), it has several layers. Each layer would absorb water, hopefully absorbing all the water that would touch my books. The final layer was coated in a special resin, that would protect my book from all aquatic harm. It is this cover that I am using for my journal right now.

I have been trying for whole voyage so far to avoid Ar-Pharazôn. I fear seeing him would lead me to argue with him about his current policy, and it is much to late for him to change his mind now. I feel it is best to try and avoid a pointless argument, not to mention its best to avoid arguing with the King of Númenor. So far there has been very little work for me to do.

Arnuzîr

* * *

The 15th of Norúi, 3261 S.A.

The sailors are worried. For the first time in living memory, their has been no wind from the West to help us. Always before, there has been some sign from the Valar that they are on our side. Now there is nothing, no wind, no eagles to guide our way. What is even more unsettling, at least in the soldiers' mind, is that there has also been no sign of disfavor, no ominous clouds, no unsettling backdrafts. They are whispering amongst themselves that if the Valar are too busy to show any concern, whether positive or negative, about our invasion, they must be very busy indeed.

I think this so utter nonsense. The Valar are nearly all powerful. The only thing that could stop them from even sending us the briefest of favors would be if the Enemy himself broke out. But that would be impossible.

Ar-Pharazôn requested my presence for the first time on our voyage. I hoped that our meeting would go without hostility. The King stood at the bow of the boat. As I approached him he continued to stare at the water. Then, without turning his head to look at me, he asked "How do you think I've been running things so far"

I responded with the first thing I could think of, "Very well, My Lord"

"Is that really what you believe, Arnuzîr?"

I stood silently in contemplation for a few moments before replying, "Yes, Your Majesty".

"And why do you believe I've done well?"

"To be honest, Your Majesty, it's because your policies might have saved our realm. You see, without those conquered farms you established in Endor, we probably would have starved last winter".

"Is that the only reason you believe I've done well?

"Well, not entirely. I also think that-"

I would have liked to continue my conversation with Ar-Pharazôn, for, in my haste to answer his questions, I had forgotten all about the tension between us. I began believing we might be able to get along. Unfortunately, at that exact moment, we were interrupted.

An eagle soared a foot over Ar-Pharazôn's head, shrieking louder than the loudest horn. It was followed by another eagle,and then another, each shrieking like a banshee. Ar-Pharazôn and I covered our ears, but even then I could hear their majestic scream.

When fourteen of the Eagles had flow overhead and disappeared into the Western skies, each shrieking their beautiful yet cacaphonous roar, the wind suddenly rushed in. There was the sound of thousands of canvases wrinkling and thousands of oars relaxing, as our sails unfurled and the oars were dropped. At last, our voyage was truly on its way.

Arnuzîr

* * *

The 24th of Cerveth, 3261 S.A.

If our departure from Rómenna was majestic, then our arrival at Umbar was nothing short of godly. Unlike Rómenna, Umbar was designed as a harbor for a fleet. Rómenna, on the other hand, was designed (at most) for a large fishing fleet, or a small war party. Another difference was the fact that, while at Rómenna, when I saw them, the ship's were mostly stationary, or moving away. Here, with the ship's moving into the harbor, we looked far grander.

The few men stationed at the docks scrambled to get all the ships anchored in place. Our ship, being the King's ship, was docked first. I quickly gathered up my writing supplies and scrambled of the ship, closely behind Ar-Pharazôn. Despite the fact that I was used to long voyages (well, three day voyages anyway) I was relieved to be back on land.

The other ships seemed to have soldiers just as eager to be off, as they all poured away from their boats and headed into the massive barracks behind the docks. I followed Ar-Pharazôn to the King's House, where the nobles would be staying.

Ar-Pharazôn and I had had many more conversations after the Eagles. In a way, I got to now him very well. I soon discovered that, on the outside, he was a very charming person. On the inside, however, he could be cruel, petty and ambitious. Perhaps I am being overly vitriolic. After all, some of those traits are admired in leaders.

It was this recent understanding of Ar-Pharazôn that allowed me to pull up the bravery to ask: "When will we begin the attack?"

"Soon"

Although he seemed somewhat preoccupied, I decided to push further.

"Where?"

"Mordor"

Clearly, Ar-Pharazôn did not welcome my interruptions at this time. I decide to save my questions until tomorrow. I wondered what was bothering him so much; after all, he had already planned out the attack.

Arnuzîr

* * *

27th of Cerveth, 3261 S.A.

Today, apparently, is the day we go to war. Already, I can hear the soldiers preparing for the day. Today we will fight our first battle against the might of Sauron. I discussed some of the tactics with Ar-Pharazôn

"Tell me, Your Majesty, do you plan on waiting for Sauron to attack us, or do you plan in attacking him?" Ar-Pharazôn had recovered from his dark mood from the other night and readily responded to my query.

"I plan on attacking. We will advance up through Umbar and along the Mountains of Shadow. From there, we will break through the Black Gate and conquer the rest of Mordor."

"Don't you have any plans for fortify and settling territory?", I asked. I was worried about my King's lack of detail.

"Why worry about that now? We can focus on that once Sauron is in chains, on his knees before me. Now, go and tell Azruzûr to gather the troops"

I did as told and commanded Azruzûr to sound his horn. Immediately, every single one of the 450,000 plus soldiers that sailed over began moving into formation. Azruzûr blew a few more tones on his horn and the soldiers began marching out. I met back up with Ar-Pharazôn. He and the other Lords were in the middle of the mass of soldiers. I prepared myself for the long walk ahead of me, for I was not offered a palanquin.

It was the middle of the day when the first attack came. Almost, I did not notice it, for we were so far from the edges of the army that, over the din of clinking chain mail, almost nothing could be heard. However, I began to hear the scream of the maimed and the dying and saw vultures swooping in on the distant horizon. I commanded one of the mounted soldiers nearby to allow me to join him on his horse, that I might get a better view.

Right away, I was able to see the skirmish. While at first, the Orcs may have seemed intimidating (indeed, later analyzation would place the numbers of the Orcs at over 10,000, no small number), our massive numbers allowed the parts of the edges that weren't being attacked to surround the Orcs, easily outnumbering them.

While I would later hear from the soldiers that it was frightening to be in such a situation, it did not seem all that scary to me.

We did manage to capture some Drúedain prisoners (previous experience having taught us that Orc prisoners are useless), but they were extraordinarily tight mouthed about Sauron. We did seem to gleam that he had been building up to meet our Army, but that he was almost frightened of us. Ar-Pharazôn shrugged that of as nonsense, assuming it was some bluff.

After resting for a day, we are going to continue on with our march.

Arnuzîr

* * *

The Third of Urui, 3261 S.A.

Today has been the most important day in all of our history. At first, things were innocuous enough. We rose, ate, backed our belongings, and marched as usual. Actually I didn't march, having finally been given a palanquin of my own. One thing that I noticed was different on this day was that the sun appeared to be a little hazy when it went over the horizon. I would later learn his obstruction of light was caused by the dust.

I was unable to contemplate on this occurrence further, for Ar-Pharazôn requested my presence to plan out more details of his strategy. It was midday when things began going wrong. We had approached a mighty river, and were preparing the bridge that the soldiers had practiced so much**, when we heard fierce screams and cries coming from the North.

The Orcs were attacking for the second time. It was at this point I realized what had raised all that dust: it was the sheer numbers of the Orcs***. Indeed, it was afterward estimated that over 50,000 Orcs were present in that army.

Even this massive amount was still nowhere near enough to overwhelm us. As a matter of fact, we presumably outnumbered the Orcs 9:1. However, the some of the Orcs had been trained by Sauron in Dark Sourcery. I do not know precisely what their powers were, but their skills added a lot to the Orcs' army. Even they would not be enough to destroy our army, for once we ripped through a spellcaster' s bodyguards, they were easy to slay. However the Orcs also had the aid of the Haradrim, and their Mûmakul.

I later heard from soldiers in the army that all was not as clear on the battle as I just wrote, and that in fact, most soldiers that actually fought in the battle (later called the Second Skirmish) were killed, and that most of the Orcs were either killed by fallen soldiers or by our archers.

My own contribution to the battle as one of strategy, and while not much, it probably prevented more of bloodshed from occuring^. I noted that the opposing army had Haradrim in it. I then wondered that, if the Haradrim were in Sauron's side, then wouldn't that put us in enemy territory?

I relayed my thought to Ar-Pharazôn, and, being a former Admiral, he realized what I had not. The Haradrim were planning on attacking by us from behind! He quickly told his messengers to relay this information to the generals in our rear, and not a moment to soon. Almost a minute later, our rearflank was attacked by almost 10,000 Haradrim.

Despite the difficulties facing us, we eventually won out. The impotent remnants of the attacking army fled, and we were able to ford the river. It was almost dusk, and we were preparing or settle in for the night, when the horns of our sentries blew.

Our men reached for their weapons for the second time that day, when suddenly, a voice, a terrible ancient voice, sounded accross our encampment.

**STOP**

There was a sound of someone screaming at the "voice" and then:

**I COME WITH A TRUCE**

Ar-Pharazôn was the only one brave enough to reply. He said

"Enter our camp for further negotiations". While he put up a brave front, I could tell he was nervous, by the twitch in his eye.

This was the first time I saw Sauron. He was dressed in chain mail, covered by a black surcoat. He had the appearance of a mortal man, but he was far more beautiful than the Drúedain of this region. He was also much taller and his eyes, unlike the usual brown of this region (or eyes of any colour, for that matter), were a pale red. Despite his beautiful form, I felt a sense of dread, despair, and disgust merely being next to him.

He and Ar-Pharazôn disappeared into a tent, where they went to discuss terms of surrender. Sauron dropped his previous voice, speaking instead in a quieter (but equally commanding) voice. When they came out it appears they had come to an agreement that made them both happy (or perhaps equally unhappy). I have copied the terms into my journal.

"In return for the sparing of his life and his armies, Sauron, the King of Mordor, is to surrender all lands he controls, west of the Mountains of Shadow and north of the Ash Mountains, to Ar-Pharazôn, King of Endor and Númenor, Conqueror of the Shadow, Blessed of the Atani, Lord of Mittalmar [the remaining titles I am editing out]. Sauron is also to accompany Ar-Pharazôn back to Númenor, were he shall be put to work by the people there. The arms and armour of his armies are to be melted down. In return, the majority of the army of Númenor shall leave Endor. This surrender is subject to change as made by The King of Númenor."

One last event happened on that night. A messenger sent from the Noldor, who had heard of our arrival, apparently, came to our camp. His original mission was to deliver the blessings of his Lord, Gil-Galad, and observe our progress. However, the minute he saw Sauron, he dropped a scroll telling us of his mission, and fled in the other direction. Tomorrow, we head back to Umbar.

Arnuzîr

* * *

The 12th of Urui, 3261 S.A.

We have now been at sea for a couple days. Recently, I tried my hand at navigation, should I ever need it. I tried to remember the lessons my father taught me, but it had been so long since my childhood that I remembered only a few things.

I had a sextant with me, as well as a northseeker and a map of the ? Ocean^*. Unfortunately, without any knowledge of how to use these instruments, the exercise soon proved to be worthless. I resolve to find someone to teach me how to navigate.

Today, I spoke alone with Sauron, for both the first and last time. I would speak with him later, but always with someone else nearby. Never again would so be alone with him. I was summoned into his quarters by a Courier. Since we had successfully truced with Sauron, a few new terms had been added. Sauron would represent the new Lord of Ennor (a general named Ainrizúl) at Númenor. In return for this new position, Mordor would be added to our lands. Essentially what this meant was that Ainrizúl would pass laws in Ennor, while Sauron would speak him on the Lords' Council.

Thus new title made Sauron of equal rank to me, not that I would have dared refuse his any of his commands previously. I was cautious about granting a former enemy of ours such power, but I was helpless to prevent it. Amandil would not be pleased at this turn of events.

Sauron spoke, interrupting my contemplation.

"So, young one, they tell me you puzzle over my race and lineage".

I was about to reply, "No, and I am not 'young', I'm over 270 years old", but one glance from him had shuddering and falling silent.

"I have decided to tell you a little about myself to, perhaps, _clear up _some of your confusion about me". His tone brooked no argument.

"I was created in a place outside of this realm of existence. A realm so vastly different from yours, that there is no words in your language that can possibly describe it. Of all the mortal languages, only some of the lost words from the primitive language that the Quendi once used come close. In this realm, there were three main classes. The upper class held only one member.

"The man was a tyrant. His name was Eru."

I gasped in shock. This... whatever he was, had gone to far. In my rage I forgot my fear of him.

"How dare you blaspheme so! Eru is the savior and creator. It was he who gave us our Gift, who gave us life, who-"

**ENOUGH**

He spoke in the same tone as he had when I first saw him, only restricted to his cabin. The limited space only served to make his voice ten times as bad. I put my hands to my ears, immmediately falling silent.

"Anyway", he continued as though there had been no interruption, "The second class would later be called the Valar. They were almost as bad as the first, lording their might over the third class, the Maiar. The Maiar were split into three main classes. The Milya were the weakest and largestst class. The next class was of middling strength and size. They were the Endëa. The next class was my class. We were the Túra, the powerful of the Maiar.

"I'm sure you have heard the Ainulindalië. When the time came to sing, I was sure I would get a leading role, after all, I was one of the more powerful Ainu, probably in the top 20. However, I was instead given a minor role. When Melkor began his new theme, I was one of those who followed him, sure that I would gain a more prominent role. And afterwards, when we entered Arda, I was loyal to him, once more seeking power. Now, he has been removed from Arda, but I will find a way to restore him"

I began to grow more and more frightened of Sauron. As he spoke, his eyes turned redder and redder. I suddenly ran out of the cabin, bursting through the door. Sauron called out from behind me: "You will serve him too".

I can't wait to be off this boat, although that may be taking longer than anticipated, for yet again there has been no wind. It also appears we are to take a slight detour to supervise the construction if a new fortress in Endor.

Arnuzîr

* * *

*Editor's Note: Despite the Númenorians current contempt for the Valar, they held the Sea Lady in the highest respect. It is unknown, however, why a ship was named after her, since Uinen would most likely take offense to such an act

**Editor's Note: This process involved using several men to lay down sturdy supports, and then covering them with sets of planks, lashed together with strong rope. This tactic was also used prior to Dagorlad by Gil-Galad's armies.

***Editor's Note: The Númenorian army probably raised far more dust.

^ Editor's Note: Out narrator here seems oblivious to the fact that the Númenorians probably lost 60,000 men that day. This number has been estimated to be almost 5 times the number of losses reported by the Free Peoples in the War of the Ring.

^* Editor's Note: The Númenorian word for their ocean doesn't translate into Westron.


	4. The Voyage Home

**Okay, so this chapter 4. It's not quite as long as chapter 3 was. I'll try to get chapter 5 out before the end of the month. Please review and enjoy!**

* * *

The 13th of Ivanneth, 3261 S.A.

I think I will recap my mission here, just to remind any future readers what they forgot since I last described our adventure in my journal. We are going to sail to Vinyalondë, one of our oldest havens. From their, we are going to march overland, until we get to the valley that marks the end of the Hithaelgir. There, we are going to briefly aid in the construction of the tower being built there. I can't quite remember the name. Oh, I remember now. Its name is Angrenost.*

The actual construction of it began around 1700, before Vinyalondë was made. It was built by order of Tar-Minastir, who hoped it would serve as a fortress against the growing might of Sauron. However, the Navy could not continue to build it, seeing as they had to go back to Númenor, and the Quendi did not have the numbers to finish construction, it instead sat there for over a 1,500 years, steadily falling into disrepair. Only recently have efforts been made to fix it.

While the voyage is expected to delay us by several months, Ar-Pharazôn does not seem to mind the delay. Almost everyone else is against this mission, viewing it as a waste of time. I am indifferent, for I currently believe that there is no pressing urgency for us to return, and I would like to see more of Endor.

Recently, efforts have been made to find a way to better contain Sauron, should he seek to turn on us. Luckily, thinking ahead, Ar-Pharazôn had brought one of our few magika** with us. He had a rudimentary knowledge of how we could bind Sauron's power. The magika (who's name was Tarkûl), created some manacles that would leave Sauron unable to using his Sorcery or transform in any way. He cautioned that they were only a temporary measure, and that we would have to find a new way to bind him once we reached Númenor.

Sauron was also kept confined to his quarters, and surrounded by a watch of over 500 men. Tarkûl was also watching him, since he was the only one who could combat Sauron's magics. Ar-Pharazôn was having Sauron kept secure at all times.

Arnuzîr

* * *

The 18th of Ivanneth, 3261 S.A.

Today we arrived at Vinyalondë. 200,000 of the soldiers are to stay behind, guarding Sauron, while the remaining 180,000 are going to go with the King and I to Angrenost.

...

We were met by a troop of elves, numbering about 100 in total, who demanded that we give Sauron over to their custody. Ar-Pharazôn snapped back at them, saying that the only the Númenorians had the sufficient strength to keep Sauron captive. The elf responded by saying "I will report your failure to comply to my Lord, Erenion Gil-Galad. I hope you understand the consequences of what you have done."

As the elves rode away, the soldiers jeered and threw rocks at them. Most of the soldiers have never liked elves, and now that the King publicly agrees with their stance, things have only become worse. I'm surprised our soldiers didn't attack the elves.

We will continue on with our march, hoping to reach Angrenost within a week.

Arnuzîr

* * *

The 28th of Ivanneth, 3261 S.A.

We were not able to arrive quite as fast as we wanted, due to an unfortunate amount of rain. In fact we are still a few days away. Curse these Northern lands! The day starts out cold and chilly, with a strong westerly wind. Then, as the day warms, the temperatures draw near to those of Near Harad. Then, at night, the temperature plunges low enough to freeze drinking water. Their climate is far less stable than ours and is quite humid. I'm regretting my decision to come here.

I had another conversation with Ar-Pharazôn today. I attempted to convince him that the elves were not our enemies, but to no avail. "My liege, I do not understand your xenophobia toward the Quendi. What have they ever done to harm us?"

Ar-Pharazôn reacted with more vitriol than I would have expected. "The Quendi have done nothing to help us, they have only caused us hurt. They spread lies and falsehoods about a "blessed land" and sow dissension that our realm cannot afford to have. They live in squalor in these lands and grow rich off our hard work. It is not xenophobia I hold towards them, but hatred of their ways".

I decided not to correct Ar-Pharazôn, nor tell him what xenophobia meant, but instead retreated to my tent. I was mulling over Ar-Pharazôn's words in my head when I heard the sentries blowing their horns. I ran outside to see what was going on. There were black shapes swarming through the camp, lighting our tents on fire. The alarm began spreading. "Orcs, there are orcs attacking!".

The soldiers who were asleep sprang out of their tents, several of them wearing nothing but their swords. Quickly, the invaders were killed, and the fires they had started put out. Unfortunately, they had done some serious damage. We estimated that the orcs, over 15,000 of them (according to our count of their dead) had managed to kill almost 40,000 of our soldiers, and damages some of our supplies. We would have to restock before we reached Angrenost.

I was about to settle down to sleep for the night when a Courier called me over to one of the bodies. Standing next to it was Ar-Pharazôn. He had taken off the warrior's helmet and was peering at the face intently. He motioned me over.

"Look at this face and tell me what you see" he said quietly. I bent down, then leapt back up in shock. Instead of the fanged, green face I had been expecting, there was instead a beautiful handsome face. This was no orc, it was an elf!

"But how?" I said, "Are the orcs capturing elves to fight for them?".

Ar-Pharazôn looked at me, a strange light was in his eyes."No. This one is wearing an insignia stating she was a captain in Gil-Galad's army. The elves have decided to harm us."

I looked away, reminded of our argument earlier. Could he be right? Why would the elves attack us? We didn't even have Sauron with us.

"Go back to your tent," Ar-Pharazôn said coldly, "I have no need for you here".

I slink back to my tent, passing countless casualties caused by the elves, wondering why they had attacked.

Arnuzîr

* * *

The 20th of Ivanneth, 3261 S.A.

It turns out one elf was taken prisoner after all. We tortured him (a process in which I took no part) but he would only saw that both we and the elves had been tricked. In the end, we sent him back to the ship's, with a contingent of 1,000 men. Now, we have only 139,000 men with us.

Finally, at around noon, we arrived at Angrenost. The basic design of Angrenost is a tall, smooth, iron tower (eventually we hope it will become the second tallest tower ever, rivaled only by Barad-dûr), encircled by a small stone wall, with rooms built into it. The foreman in charge of the project was relived to have us there, explaining that he had been asking Vinyalondë to send extra men for months now.

He put our men to work right away. The foreman, Harnûnos, explained that what needed to be worked on would be making the stone wall, and rebuilding the foundations for the tower. So far, in the three years they had been working, they had managed to tear down the unusable bits of the old tower, but that was all. Now, with their workforce at 14000% it's usual size, Harnûnos hoped to accomplish some sizable amount of work.

I'm going to spend the week our army is staying here, exploring the surrounding forests. Legend says that there are sentient trees in the forest (called "Ents" by the locals) and I hope to make contact with them. I will not be bringing my journal, so there will not be any updates for the next week.

Arnuzîr

* * *

The 27th of Ivanneth, 3261 S.A.

I was unable to find any Ents though not through lack of trying. Ar-Pharazôn chided me for "wasting [my] time on something so silly" and I believe the men are laughing at me. Still, I believe that the legends are true. I wish I had time to visit Lothlórien, but alas, we leave Angrenost today.

The changes in the tower are amazing to see. The tower rises over 100 feet in the air already, and it will eventually become 450 feet tall. The stone ring around has been completed, though the rooms still need to be cut into the rock. The builders have been supplied with cots, food, and tools. Although most of the builders are natives, some of them are Númenorians and were glad to hear news about home.

Harnûnos thanked us excessively, promising that if any of us were to be stationed at Angrenost when it was finished, he would promote them. As we left the build site a group of elves approached us. Ar-Pharazôn called for them to stop, lest he shoot. The riders stopped immeadiately.

"Why do you speak to us with such hostility in your voice, your majesty". Their leader said.

"Have you not heard?" Ar-Pharazôn replied angrily, "several of your kind attacked my troops!"

"Ah, yes I have heard reports of such a band. They are not of the Noldor or Sindar, like the kingdoms of Gil-Galad or Galadriel, but rather they are Moriquendi. They believe that the land belongs only to the native groups, and attack all foreigners and colonists."

"But we found evidence linking them to Gil-Galad!" Ar-Pharazôn shouted.

"Insignias and arms can be stolen or forged, my friend" the elf said coldly.

"I will refuse to sit here and listen to your insults, elf." Ar-Pharazôn snarled, "Say what you have come to say, then leave".

"We came bearing advice and also to ask if Sauron has a golden ring in his possession." Said the elf.

"Lord Sauron has no such object on his person, and I care not for your advice. Be off with you, elf"

"So be it." The elf said, "You have chosen your own path." With those last words the elf and his companions turned around and headed back to the North.

Arnuzîr

* * *

The Fourth of Narbeleth, 3261 S.A.

We arrived at Vinyalondë today, and are about to set sail towards Númenor. Another twist has popped up regarding the Elven attackers. Apparently Tarkûl tensile tests on the prisoner we sent to him. He discovered that he was actually under a glamour and was really a human. Now we have three potential explanations. 1) The attack was done by the Noldor and their allies. 2) the attack was committed by a Moriquendi terrorist group, expressing principals of anti-colonialism. Or 3) a group of humans, possibly linked to the Moriquendi.

Whatever they were, I cannot wait to return to Númenor, for I fear how it has been doing with our extended absence.

Arnuzîr

* * *

The 17th of Hithui, 3261 S.A.

As I suspected, with the absence of the King and almost every other major Lord, Gimilzimir set himself up as a despot. The people were rioting, even in Armenelos. Luckily, Amandil was able to lead a group of men to take down Gimilzimir. The new Lord of Forostar was Tarkûl, chosen because of his great intellect, and because of his skill with magic.

I talked with Amandil briefly, exchanging information about what had happened. He explained that both he and Ar-Zimraphel were planning many things with the Faithful, when Gimilzimir took it upon himself to become the next King. Rather than pull of their plans, Amandil and Ar-Zimraphel decided to lead a revolt against him. Luckily it was successful.

Amandil listened intently to my tale. He paid especially close attention to the parts about Sauron and about the elves attackers.

"I fear for our kingdom with Sauron as a Lord," said Amandil.

I nodded. "Me too, my friend, me too."

Arnuzîr

* * *

*Editor's Note: While you might recognize Angrenost as the fortress built by the Exiles (which was also Isengard or Irengard), the Exiles in fact took the almost completed tower and finished it for themselves

**Editor's Note: Magika was a Númenorian term for someone possessing unnatural powers. It is my belief that magika were those who could wield strange energies and use them to cast spells, similar to the Orc Shamans and Dark Sorcerors (of the Fourth and Second Age, respectively).


End file.
